


One Hundred Days to Run

by for_t2



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Airplanes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chases, Demons, F/F, Goodbyes, Post-Season/Series 07, Repaying Debt, Spooky, Vampire Slayer(s), Visions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25222228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/for_t2/pseuds/for_t2
Summary: They had defeated the First Evil, brought power to a new generation of slayers, but some gifts still need to be repaidOr: 10 ideas to start off a Season 8
Relationships: Faith Lehane/Buffy Summers
Kudos: 12





	One Hundred Days to Run

Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the…

Into our generation, slayers are born: girls all across the world, chosen ones. They together will-- 

_Death is your gift._

\--wield the strength and skill to stand against the vampires, the demons-- 

_Death._

\--the forces of darkness-- 

_Yours._

\--they are the Slayers.

_We gave you death._

_We gave you a gift._

_Now it must be repaid._

  1. **Goodbyes**



“Eye don’t think I can handle it.” Xander chuckled sadly as he pointed to his eyepatch. “Not anymore.”

“But—”

“I’m just a carpenter, Buffy.” After a few days of rest in Angel’s hotel, of partying and sleeping, the adrenaline was fading. People will starting to talk. Plans starting to be made. “And building a slayer academy sounds like fun. It sounds like something I can do.”

Maybe there was a part of Buffy that liked Giles’ plan, that knew he was right. But a bigger part of her had the whole world at her fingertips for the first time.

  1. **All The World**



Faith found her on the pavement outside, away from the loud lights of the casino, away from the fallout of the ridiculous magic gambling scheme they had rather abruptly stopped.

“Hey, B.”

“Hey.”

“I know everyone’s going their own way.” As relaxed as Buffy was (more than Faith had ever seen), she still tensed. “But I don’t really have anything better to do, so I can be a pain in your ass long as you like.”

Buffy chuckled. “That’d be nice.”

“Unless…” Faith had been putting off the question all day. “Do you want me to go back to prison?”

  1. **Fracture**



“Hundred days, B.” Faith unhooked the crossbow from a deep green dress that really suited her. “Then bullseye.”

“Don’t break the ice, Faith.” Willow rolled her eyes as she stirred her hot chocolate. “And be careful with the heart.”

A drop of blood trickled down from the rafters and onto Buffy’s face. “Bullseye?” And when she looked up, she didn’t know what, but something in the shadows (maybe the shadow’s themselves) stared back.

_Repay your debt._

Her vision swam when she jerked back awake in the bus, head absolutely burning. Visions weren’t supposed to be this strong, this…

She vomited.

  1. **Bat Wings**



“Thank fuck for good, old fashioned vampires.” Faith slumped back into the restaurant booth, a plate of allegedly the best hot wings in New Orléans on the table between them.

“You’re telling me.” Willow followed Kennedy and dived right in.

Buffy didn’t.

“What’s up, B?” Faith tried to keep a straight face. “Not hungry and—”

“Shut up, F.” Buffy tossed one right at Faith’s face, with deadly accurate aim. “I’m just thinking, that’s all.”

“Less thinking, more food.” Kennedy mumbled, mouth full.

Buffy caught the wing Faith flung right back. “I think I know where we should go next.”

  1. **Capital Haunts**



“When did you get so good at research?”

Faith glanced up from the dusty scrolls they had gathered up from the basement of the Washington prophecy archives (run by a friendly council of demonologists). “Uh…” She was mildly insulted by the quizzical look Buffy gave her. “I had a lot of time to read in prison?”

“Oh.” Buffy pouted at the stack in front of her. “Well it’s still boring.”

“Prison was boring.” Even if it was good.

Problem was, they still hadn’t found any hints about Buffy’s visions. Even as they got worse. Even as they hit Faith too.

  1. **Home, Sweet Home**



“Don’t.”

“Faith.” Buffy couldn’t keep her voice even as she reached out. Faith’s body was absolutely tense, ready to pounce on the slightest shadow, her hand gripping into her stake so tightly the splinters drew constant blood, and even if she had her back to her, Buffy knew Faith’s eyes had gone wild in that very, very dangerous way she knew they could. “It’s—”

“Shut up!” Faith barely stopped herself from taking a swing at Buffy. “Just, shut up.”

Buffy didn’t miss the tears on Faith’s cheeks. How her voice and body trembled.

Stopping in Boston was a mistake. 

  1. **Bienvenue au Nord**



To be fair, Faith thought as her head smashed into the glass, things could’ve gone worse.

The library in Québec City was allegedly one of the oldest in North America, and, for a moment, it looked like they had found the beginning of some answers. But Buffy got distracted by an ice rink, and Faith indulged her because she knew how much Buffy liked skating and she knew it had been ages and it was so much easier to just smile with her instead of trying to work through any feelings and… 

It turned out that answers had found them.

  1. **Goodbyes, Again**



“No, Will.” Buffy paced around their hotel room. “It’s not a discussion.” 

“If there’s magic you need someone…” Willow sighed. “You can’t stake everything.”

“But this is a slayer thing!” Buffy really didn’t want to ditch Willow, didn’t want to ditch Kennedy or any of the others who still hanging on, but those shadows, whatever they were, were getting closer. Were getting more dangerous.

Willow gave Buffy her most knowing look. Her most searching tone of voice. “Are you sure?”

Buffy wished she could say yes. But she wasn’t ready to lose anyone else. Not anymore. “Remember the first slayer?”

  1. **Airbone & Airsick **



“Uh… B?” Faith might’ve had a fantasy or two once (and definitely only once) which involved her being pressed up against the wall of an airplane bathroom, Buffy all pressed up against her and whispering and… But when Buffy was in danger mode, Faith knew better than to dwell on fantasies. Especially when they were in mid-air over the Atlantic. “Something up?”

“Shh!” Buffy glanced backwards at the door she had not-so-subtly wrenched open. “Demon. Passengers. I think they’re…”

They both went silent when the flight attendant pushed the door open. Stared down at them. With glowing red eyes.

“…possessed.”

  1. **London Calling, Part I**



Faith had convinced Giles not to ask any questions when she asked about any emergency apartments and emergency contacts in London.

But when a fancy letter from Wolfram & Hart (and not Angel’s branch) slipped through the door, when she and Buffy both woke up in the middle of the same at exactly the same time with the exactly the same vision, the apartment way colder, way darker, than the clouds outside… 

When four loud knocks hit their door, when Buffy reached for the sword with one hand and Faith’s hand with the other… 

Faith wasn’t sure she was ready.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the 100th fic I've posted on AO3, so that's pretty cool. As always, constructive criticism is more than welcome!


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